A network infrastructure that is used by a mobile telecommunication carrier to transport data traffic between cell sites and a core network (e.g., a mobile switching office) of the telecommunication carrier is generally referred to as the backhaul. A cell site may include a base transceiver station (BTS) in the context of a 2G communication network, a Node B in the context of a 3G communication network, or an eNode B in the context of a 4G/LTE communication network. A backhaul may be implemented using copper cables, fiber optic cables, Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMAX) transceivers, microwave radio transceivers, and/or so forth. As consumers increase their data usage on their mobile telecommunication devices, there are increased demands on telecommunication carriers to increase the data carrying capacities of their backhauls. However, the installation, leasing, and/or maintenance of additional network infrastructures to support increased backhaul data carrying capacities may place heavy financial burden on a mobile telecommunication provider. Such financial burden may cause implementation delays and degraded quality of service.
Further, the sole use of WiMax transceivers or microwave radio transceiver to increase the data carrying capacity of a backhaul between the cell sites and a core network of a telecommunication carrier may have drawbacks. Due to the limited wireless transmission distances of such transceivers, data are transmitted via multiple hops as they are routed between the core network and the cell sites. The wireless transmission distances and the use of multiple hops may result in increased radio tower construction, increase spectrum usage, increased design complexity, increased equipment maintenance cost, in order to improve the data carrying capacity of backhauls.